


Compass

by disenchantedphoenix



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Smut, The obligatory internet au, and tumblr ridiculousness, complete with fanfic writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:58:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5029297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disenchantedphoenix/pseuds/disenchantedphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tablet Guardians human AU with side Jedtavius/Kahmunlot.<br/>Larry discovers a book series he can really get into, even if it might be a little juvenile. Through an Ao3 review, he stumbles upon a small tumblr community centered around these books. For better or for worse, he joins it. Internet friendships ensue. Convention trips ensue. And romance ensues, which makes a certain person's parents very upset, considering their son is still a few months away from turning eighteen. Nobody told Larry. And when he finds out, he freaks. Ahk doesn't want to take no for an answer, but Larry forces him to, at least for the time being.</p><p>Sometimes our compass breaks,<br/>and our steady true north fades.<br/>But we'll be just fine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compass

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first chapter of my NatM Big Bang fic!! Thanks to demilarrydaley and nerdybumblebee for being my artist/beta!!!! I honestly doubt that I will meet the deadline for completion though, because this story turned out to be much longer than originally planned for.... oh well, I guess that means more tablet guardians for everyone lol.  
> Anyway, I do have a an important warning for this one: There is underage, as you can probably tell from the summary. Ahk is seventeen, and although Larry isn't aware of that fact until later, underage is underage, and there is smut. I marked it with a long line of asterisks so that it could be skipped over if anyone wants to do that.  
> Basically this fic is gonna be split into four (really, really long) parts. Each part is named after a Sleeping at Last song (bc im a hoe for Sleeping At Last now) So part 1 goes with the song North. Idk if anyone really cares about that, but I for one find it cool when music fits a story :P  
> Anyway, that's enough notes! Here ya go!

_Smaller than dust on this map_  
_Lies the greatest thing we have:_  
_The dirt in which our roots may grow_  
_And the right to call it home._

 

In the end, everything was Nick's fault.

Larry's seven year old son just _had_ to love a stupid television show. Had to watch it every weekend. As soon as Erica dropped him off, he immediately dashed to the couch and turned on the TV, completely engrossed in the world of Time Warp Trio.

When you only see your son two days a week, every second is precious. Larry didn't argue, only attempted to use the show as a means to bond with Nick. And it worked, because Nick simply loved to gush about the characters. They were like his friends, and Larry found it all very endearing.

That is, until he began wondering more about the premise of the show, even going so far as to watch old episodes online. Purely as a way to understand Nick a little better. Or at least, that's what he tried to tell himself. But the truth was, out of nowhere, Larry was beginning to adore Time Warp Trio. The idea of a book transporting people to a random time and place in history whenever it chose had so much potential, and Larry began wishing for much more than an educational cartoon. The history nerd in him was practically vibrating with excitement.

In time, this interest led him to the internet. With a few searches, Larry was able to find a book series inspired by the show, following the exact same premise, except for the fact that each episode was an entire novel. And they were targeted towards young adults, offering a slightly more mature storyline.

He had never been more embarrassed picking something up at the library, but that was beside the point.

They were exactly what Larry hoped for. The author had taken the young characters, turned them into adults, and used the idea of modern men stuck at a random point in time to explore the inner workings of history, sexuality, royalty, government, and everything in between. It was a moderately sized series, but he devoured them in only a few weeks.

His favorite, by far, had been the ancient Egyptian one. While not only giving a wonderful glimpse into the lives of pharaohs and slaves alike, there had been a ridiculous amount of subtext between the pharaoh and one of the main characters. It never developed into anything however, which Larry found disappointing as well as strange, because this author had never shied away from writing same-sex relationships.

The one pairing that would have made so much sense, that would have been literally perfect in every way, was thrown out the door as the men returned to their own time with an almost impossible stroke of luck. Really, they should have been stuck in ancient Egypt forever. Then maybe Sam and his pharaoh could have had something going on. Larry began obsessing over the idea.

Which is how he found himself in his shadowy living room, sitting in front of a bright computer screen at 2 a.m, trying to decide whether or not to publish his first fanfic.

Arrow hovering precariously over the post button, he sighed. He was a good writer, he knew it, but Larry had never shared his work online, not when he knew that every word he wrote was subject to criticism and ridicule.

Not to mention that no fandom existed for some stupid book series based off of a kid's show.

Larry was weirding himself out just by being a fan of them. He had ships, for God's sake. Now that he was twenty-seven, had a strong career, a son, and was slowly but surely working towards both teaching and history degrees, he had hoped to have left behind all those nights spent in front of a computer. He wasn't a teenager anymore, and the divorce was long behind him. And yet, here he was.

With a shake of his head, he pressed the post button. Most likely, no one would even read it; his story was just another one of the millions out there, and it wasn't even for a popular fandom. He could take it down in a couple weeks, shove it into the depths of his writing folders, and forget he had ever stooped this low.

Whatever. It was late, and Larry was going to bed. He'd deal with the aftermath in the morning.

***

True to Larry's predictions, his fic, entitled Banks of the Nile, was ignored for close to a week, save for a few Kudos. Nevertheless, when he opened up email notifications from Ao3, he was absurdly proud. Even if it the topic was outlandish, his writing must be at least halfway decent.

Then, on another melancholy night filled with Chinese takeout and trash TV, he opened his email to see a comment notification.

Where before his head had been lolling back against the couch, eyes drooping and thoughts of calling it a night beginning to surface in his mind, now he surged awake. The carton of rice in his lap came dangerously close to tumbling to floor.

This was it. This would be the first of many people to berate him for writing something so utterly stupid. Over the course of the last few days, Larry had at times hoped the fic would miraculously delete itself. That would save him the trouble of obsessing over the sad number of hits and subscriptions. In retrospect, maybe that number had been a good thing. No one was around to poke fun at him.

With a certain amount of trepidation, Larry opened the email.

_**AhkmenRAWR** left the following comment on Banks of the Nile:_

_OMGOMGOMG JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A BIKE I'M SCREAMING RN THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. Okay I'll try to calm down a little lol. This is a wonderful story with amazing writing and I am quite literally dying at the moment. Sam forced to be a servant of the pharaoh? I think I know exactly where this is going ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Please please please continue with this. I'll die if you don't!_

Well, that was.... unexpected. Shocking, actually. Not being one to share his writing, this was the first time Larry had ever received a compliment on his work.

There were not tears in his eyes, he told himself resolutely.

He quickly typed back a response.

 

_Wow, thanks a lot! I pretty much assumed there weren't any fans of these books. It's cool to see that someone else likes them._

 

With the reply sent, Larry sat back, trying to comprehend this sudden turn of events. But before he could get much thinking done, a new notification was popping up. It came less than five minutes after the first.

_**AhkmenRAWR** replied to your comment on Banks of the Nile:_

_Oh my god dude no, there's actually a little community of us on Tumblr. You can check under the TWT tag for content and junk. Come and join us!_

 

Larry practically shuddered. Too much of his time as a young man had been spent scrolling through a blue dashboard. Not that he hadn't enjoyed it, but that was beside the point. Between his job and online classes, he didn't have time for the distraction. Besides, he was an adult now; he shouldn't be wasting his time on social media when he could be, like, paying taxes and shit. Yeah.

Yet he was going to do it anyway. The thought of people to share his interests with was just too strong.

For the first time in more than five years, he logged into his old account, going directly to the TWT tag. Greeted with an array of fics, art, headcannons, and just plain friendly discussions, Larry knew he was already in way too deep.

An hour after entering the tag, he x'ed out. Typing his old url, historytwistlarry, into the address bar, (and yeah, okay, maybe he didn't have the best taste in usernames, but he wasn't clever enough to change it now) he set about giving his old blog a makeover.

***

Throughout his entire his work day, Larry's mind would stray to other things, wondering just who was a part of this so-called TWT community. Would these people accept him? Nothing was certain, but as usual, Larry feared rejection. Too many times, people who he’d thought were his friends turned out to be pretending in the hopes of personal gain. And when they realized that Larry had nothing to offer, they left without warning. Trusting had never been easy, but it had more to do with self-perception than anything else. Larry just didn't like himself.

He was getting better, though. Two years after the divorce, two years of wandering the city in search of a job, a friend, a place to belong after the one person who promised to love him no matter what decided to say goodbye, and now his life was finally back on track. But it felt so precarious, as if everything he'd accomplished hung by a thread, and the threat of a sharp pair of scissors hung just over the horizon. Finally, Larry was feeling good, and he didn't want to screw that up.

Once home, after a procrastination period filled with food and homework and television, Larry sat himself down in front of the computer and waited, nervous, for the familiar blue screen to load. He was surprised to already see a message notification.

_**Ahkmenrawr** said:_

_Hey! You joined!! Welcome to the trash pit man._

Hmm.

Quickly, he typed back a response, asking this mysterious person just how they managed to find his tumblr.

 

_**Ahkmenrawr** said:_

_You reblogged the entire TWT tag bro. Wasn't hard to figure out. Nice URL btw._

In the darkness of his living room, Larry blushed. He’d known that he was being a little over enthusiastic, but now he was even more embarrassed. Had it really been that conspicuous? For a few moments, Larry fretted over his actions, unsure of what to type back. While he was doing this, though, Ahkmenrawr must have noticed his silence. They sent another message, this time on fanmail.

_Yo we're all on Tinychat if you wanna join_

 

There was a link at the bottom.

Should he? Larry debated with himself. On one hand, he had nothing better to do. It wasn't as if he had friends to hang out with. Maybe he'd make some, even if it was only online. On the other hand, he might embarrass himself. Probably would embarrass himself. And they might hate him. But now this Ahkmenrawr person was expecting him to join, and he couldn't exactly ignore the invite. With a sharp exhale, Larry clicked the link.

Tinychat was new to him, but it seemed simple enough. Beside the chat window, a small list of names appeared, showing all people entered in the room. At the top was AhkmenRAWR, followed by Smithandwesson,  and then Octodaddy.

_**Smithandwesson:** Hey, who's the newcomer?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** This is the person I was telling you about! The one who wrote the fic._

_**Smithandwesson:** In that case, how's it goin? Really like ur writin_

 

There was a pause. Larry had no idea what to say. Instead, he stared at the screen while seconds turned into minutes, and his own incompetence was stifling. Fingers hovered over the keyboard, but try as he might, he could give them no direction.

 

_**Smithandwesson:** So.... historytwistlarry. Nice name._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Yeah_

Another pause. What the hell was he supposed to say?

_**Historytwistlarry:** I have bad taste in usernames._

_**Smithandwesson:** We all do_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Obviously_

_**Octodaddy:** I agree._

Larry laughed a little; they definitely weren’t wrong.

_**Octodaddy:** Hello, by the way. Have you ever done the fandom thing before?_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Yeah, some. Only with larger ones though._

_**Octodaddy:** Small can be fun too. Trust me._

It seemed as though the others were trying their best to make him feel at ease. Larry steadied himself; took a deep breath. Maybe he could handle this.

A glance to the right told him that more people had entered the chat. Now they were joined by Whosyourpresident, Shoshonegirl, and FrenchToast.

 

_**AhkmenRAWR:** The gangs all here lol._

_**Whosyourpresident:** Hello boys!_

_**Shoshonegirl:** How is everyone doing?_

_**Smithandwesson:** Just fine ma'am. Thanks for askin_

_**Octodaddy:** I’m doing well :)_

_**Whosyourpresident:** Oh, someone new! Hello there, historytwistlarry._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Hi. You can just call me Larry if you want._

_**Whosyourpresident:** So tell us about yourself. What brought you here?_

 

Larry grimaced, running a hand through his hair. Should he explain about Nick? No, that would be weird. They didn’t need to hear about his son.

In all honesty, he felt like pulling his hair out. Internet conversation had always come a little easier than face to face, but still, he had his issues. Not to mention the fact that they'd met literally seconds ago, and now Larry was being asked for information he didn't necessarily want to give. For all he knew, these people could be internet weirdos wanting to harvest his flesh or something. Stranger things had happened.

 

_**Shoshonegirl:** Dear, don't you think that's a little forward? Maybe we should introduce ourselves first?_

_**Whosyourpresident:** Quite right. My apologies._

_**Smithandwesson** : I'll go ahead and do intros then. You can call me Smith or somethin. I don’t really care. Anyway, I live on a ranch out west, takin care of horses and such. Ya get the idea._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Wow, that's actually pretty cool_

_**Smithandwesson:** Well don't sound so surprised. As for the others, Whosyourpresident and Shoshonegirl are married. Got a pretty cute son too, if I might add._

_**Shoshonegirl:** Thank you, dear. That's sweet._

 

Feeling a little intimidated, Larry began trying to formulate his own answer. These people were certainly friendly, no question there, but they seemed to know each other very well. Awkward as he as, Larry didn't think he could ever be a part of their group. But it was about time he started developing social skills, so, resolutely, he trudged on.

_**Smithandwesson:** FrenchToast is french, obviously. He probably wants to speak for himself._

_**FrenchToast:** Hello, welcome to the group. Forgive me for not being very active; I'm working._

_**Smithandwesson:** And that right there is why I never went to college. Too much work._

_**Octodaddy:** You never went to college because you're an idiot._

_**Smithandwesson:** Aaaand this is Octodaddy. He's a royal asshole._

_**Octodaddy:** I happen to be very nice, thank you. I just can't stand your arrogant ass. Anyway, greetings from Rome. It's really fucking hot here. Send help._

_**Smithandwesson:** It is not that hot over there. Stop whining._

_**Octodaddy:** It is right now!_

_**Smithandwesson:** No it's not._

_**Octodaddy:** How would you know?!_

 

With a raised eyebrow, Larry watched as the conversation quickly escalated. The ping of a new message came faster and faster with each new retort, although the quality of their insults seem to decrease with every second that passed. It was all rather ridiculous.  

For such a small, close group, they seemed like very different people. Interesting as well. Larry had no idea what he had to bring to the table. Was he funny? Not really. Attractive? Yeah, right. Intelligent? Eh. He didn’t have much to offer.

Abruptly, a message popped up in the private chat window, denying him the chance to dive further into self-resentment.

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Those two don't get along very well lol_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Yeah, I can see that._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** It's best to just let them get it out._

 

He risked a glance back at the group chat. Messages were still coming rapidfire.

_**Shoshonegirl:** BOYS! You are embarrassing yourselves! Stop it!_

_**Octodaddy:** Jupiter, you're right. Besides, I can't reason with him._

_**Smithandwesson:** Fine, but only cause Wea asked._

_**Shoshonegirl:** Good. Now Larry, share with us a little. That is, if you don't mind._

 

Shit. He still had no idea what to say. A divorced father who spent his days with wax museum exhibits and read children's books for fun wasn't exactly the epitome of cool and interesting. More like the epitome of creepy, actually. Best not lead with that.

After a moment, he began typing.

 

_**Historytwistlarry:** Uh, well, there's not much to say. I've always been really into history and stuff, and then I found these books, and.... yeah. I really like them._

He cringed. Why? Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he ever talk like a normal human being?

_**Octodaddy:** Are you a teacher, or something like that?_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Studying to be a history professor, yeah. Right now I'm a docent at the Museum of Natural History._

 

The effect of those words was instantaneous. Once again, the chat exploded.

_**AhkmenRAWR:** SERIOUSLY?!? I wanna go there so bad_

_**Smithandwesson:** Wow, we got us a smartypants on our hands. That's real cool_

_**Octodaddy:** Interesting! I adore museums._

 

The rest of the chat was spent discussing a little bit of everything, and Larry slowly relaxed. The others were asking him about the museum, the exhibits, and about any facts he could repeat from his endless string of classes. History was his specialty; he was in his element. With this subject, he was able to keep the conversation going, and the others seemed to love the little bits of historical knowledge he could bring to the discussion. While most of the others had knowledge in a specific area of history, (for instance, Smithandwesson knew a lot about the American west, while Whosyourpresident seemed to be an expert in military strategy) Larry knew a little of everything, and could fill the gaps in their knowledge. It left him feeling inexplicably good.

One by one, the others logged off, called away by various responsibilities or time zone differences, until the chat was empty except for himself and AhkmenRAWR. The conversation didn't decline; in fact, it became even more vibrant. Not only did the two of them share the same interests in books, but they liked the same movies, music, and television shows, too. It wasn't until he had spent a good two hours completely glued to the screen that Larry looked up and realized that it was well past two A.M.

_**AhkmenRAWR:** And did your hear their newest album? Holy fucking shit man. Fucked me up_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Shit, sorry. Gotta go to bed. Work in the morning and stuff._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Okay. Will you be back tomorrow?_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Probably. Not sure when though._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Yay! I'll keep an eye out :)_

_**Historytwistlarry:** bye_

__

Feeling almost giddy, Larry logged off. Maybe posting that fic had been a good idea after all. Maybe, just this once, he could let something good happen.

***

His prediction served true. Larry quickly fell back into his old routine of waking up, checking tumblr, going to school (or in this case, work) and checking up on things again as soon as he arrived home. There was never more than a few new posts in the tag a day, though really, TWT still gave him something to do. At this point in his life, there was no one he could really call a friend, not since Erica. Sometimes, it felt as though everything was stagnating, even in the midst of college and a career. This new obsession gave him an escape.

Scrolling through the tag, he rolled his eyes at the newest answered asks. It seemed as though Smithandwesson was still looking for a fight.

****

_**Smithandwesson** asked:_

_I hope u know that ur art is fuckin shitty like do u even see it???? A fuckin five year old could draw better._

****

Octodaddy had answered back in defense of his work, not to mention calling the other man's writing “a disgrace to society, and nothing short of a laughingstock.”

This happened at least twice a day. It didn't matter how many times Shoshonegirl chastised them, or how hard the others tried to make them act civil. Nothing worked. Sometimes, it was like playing referee to a boxing match. That was over the internet. Where the opponents could do nothing but scream like little children.Not much fun, in other words.

Ahkmenrawr, on the other hand, was always pleasant. Out of the entire group, he was quickly becoming Larry's favorite, and the two of them talked almost daily. The other man always had some new story to tell, whether is was an AU idea or something that had peaked his interest in TV or music. The stream of ideas never seemed to stop, and considering Larry frequently got bored with the monotony of everyday life, that could be a blessed relief.

Deciding to check in on his friends, Larry clicked their urls one by one. Octodaddy had reblogged some interesting poetry, Shoshonegirl had shared some beautiful nature photos, and FrenchToast had commented about how much he hated midterms. Typical stuff. However, Ahkmenrawr's latest post made him pause.

****

_**Kahmemes** asked:_

_You're so god damned stupid why does anyone even bother to suffer your existence?_

****

The answer was a simple “rude”, but Larry felt an uncharacteristic flair of anger. How dare they? No one deserved to to be treated that way, much less Ahkmenrawr, who was always so sweet and kind to everyone.

Clicking on the offending blog, Larry was immediately greeted with a horrendous green and gold theme. The content seemed to consist entirely of black and white photography, which revolved around depressing themes. And there was the occasional meme, though still devoid of color.

A strange combination, to say the least.

He debated sending an ask demanding to know just what this asshole thought they were doing, but decided against it. He didn't want to start things, not yet. Instead, he sent a message to Ahkmenrawr.

****

_Hey, what was up with that Kahmemes person? Do they do that a lot? That was really rude what the hell._

****

Sitting in front of the computer, Larry worried at his lower lip. He should be working; there was a textbook open on his lap that needed studying. But he couldn't seem to concentrate, not until Ahkmenrawr replied. Soon, however, his worries were relieved.

****

_Lol yeah that happens a lot but its just my brother. He's only sort of serious. Cause he's an asshole. Anyway get on Tinychat im bored af._

****

Larry smiled, glad that Ahkmenrawr wasn’t upset. That seemed like a harsh thing to send, even between siblings. Nevertheless, if the other man didn’t care, neither would he.

Tapping his fingers against the desk nervously, he debated only a moment before setting his book to the side, only temporarily of course, and logging into their chat room.

****

_**Historytwistlarry:** I'm gonna fight your brother._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** He's a black belt so I mean_

_**Historytwistlarry:** I'm gonna yell at your brother from a distance._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Thank. But I have a black belt as well so I can take him. Believe me._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Whoa that's cool. Anyway though, who puts the word meme in their url? What the fuck is a Kah? Actually, while we're on the subject, what the fuck is an Ahkmen?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** My name, thanks. Ahkmenrah._

****

Larry rubbed his forehead. The ability to delete sent messages would be pretty stellar right about now. “Why do you always have to make an ass of yourself?” he asked the empty room. “Just once, say the right things.”

But wow, that was an interesting name. He tried it out, speaking it aloud. It seemed to roll off the tongue, the perfect little mixture of three syllables. The strange, kingly name made it's owner seem exotic in a way Larry knew was wrong, but was still fascinating nonetheless.

****

_**Historytwistlarry:** Fuck, sorry. Didn't mean to sound rude about it._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Nah it's fine. Weird name, I get it._

****

It was a weird name, but Larry had heard ones like it before. History books were full of them, possibly even a duplicate if he bothered to look hard enough, which he might. He leaned closer to the screen.

****

_**Historytwistlarry:** It's Egyptian, right?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Correct. I'm impressed. You into Egyptian history?_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Wow, how could you have guessed?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** lol :P_

_**Historytwistlarry:** So do you live in Egypt?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** pfft no I live around Westchester in NY._

 

Larry sat back, blinking a few times. Seriously? There was no way.

 

_**Historytwistlarry:** Dude, that's like an hour from me._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Whoa man. Maybe I'll come visit some time ;)_

****

Somehow, Larry had a feeling he wouldn't mind that.

***

Time passed quickly, and Larry flew through his writing. He was surprised to find that, even after so long, building stories still came easily. It was as if his mind were a balloon that someone had poked a hole into, and now the words flowed relentlessly out. Between work and classes, it could be hard to find the time to put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard), but Larry managed to do it. With each new chapter, his friends were quick to praise, and they always thanked him for writing. Currently, he and Smithandwesson, whom he now knew to be named Jedediah, were the only writers in the fandom, and Jed was too busy to write anything more than the occasional one-shot. But thanks to his friends egging him on, Larry had succeeded in hitting the halfway point in just over a month. What's more, smut had happened. Though Larry had to push through the furious blush on his face while writing it, he somehow managed to press the post button. He was fairly certain Teddy and Wea had skipped that section, and he didn't fault them in the least. Jed and Octavius, however, had read it. And Ahk had definitely read it. The other man couldn't seem to stop talking about the sex scenes, digging into the most minute details and making his own additions until Larry was sufficiently flustered in more ways than one. And the others loved getting Larry worked up as well. It wasn't hard, after all.

Biting his lip, Larry clicked on his own blog for what must have been the fifth time. He was nervous, though he really had no reason for it. Earlier that day, Nick had convinced him to post a few pictures of the two of them, one in which Larry was wearing a pair of plastic Harry Potter glasses, under the boy's assertions that they made him look exactly like the character Sam. Nick knew all about Larry's internet friends and wanted to meet them more than anything, but Larry was holding off on that front. He trusted Ahk and Teddy and everyone else immensely, but it still took convincing for Larry to post the photos. And now he was obsessively checking the notes. Octavius, Wea, and most of the others had seen it and left pleasant comments about both him and his son, but it seemed as though Ahk had yet to notice it. Larry couldn't stop refreshing, exceedingly curious as to what the other man would say. His heart fluttered as he realized the note count had risen.

 

_**Kahmemes** reblogged this and added: You look absolutely ridiculous. What the hell is on your face? Good to know my brother's friends are uglier than him, I suppose._

****

Heart dropping to rest somewhere around his stomach, Larry stared at the screen. This had been a bad idea. Obviously he looked ridiculous; that was the point, but.... maybe it wasn't as funny as he'd thought. A glance back to the other photos, now with a more scrutinizing eye, and he found a thousand more flaws than before. He looked just as bad without the glasses, and now that fact was painfully obvious. Why had he bothered? Best to just delete the photos now, before anyone else saw.

Before deleting, though, something made him refresh one last time. His hand hovered over the delete button, wondering whether he should ignore the newest addition. The note count had risen again. Apprehensively, he scrolled down to read.

****

_**Ahkmenrawr** reblogged this and added: Shut the fuck up Kah, you wish you could look this good. Who do you think you are, telling the most handsome man in existence he’s anything less than perfect?_

****

Larry's mouth flew open, a fluttery sensation filling his stomach. He could barely believe what he was looking at; had Ahk really defended him so ardently? Struggling to swallow, he read the words again. And a third time. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to fully comprehend them.

Surely, Ahk had only said that to make him feel better, or maybe just to piss off his brother. And anyway, isn’t that what you were supposed to do for friends? Defend them? Ahk was just trying to be nice. Still, Larry made sure to thank him profusely.

A few minutes later, the reply came, and Larry assumed to see the mandatory “you're welcome” message, and then they'd be stuck in an awkward conversation loop revolving around a situation that he’d already rather forget. Instead, what he found was quite different.

****

_**Ahkmenrawr** asked: Well it’s true. So what's up you meme loving fuck? Get on chat._

****

Larry couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. Quick and simple; no formalities. He should have expected that from Ahk. Logging onto Tinychat, he saw that the conversation was already underway.

****

_**Smithandwesson:** Anyone else get jealous of larger fandoms?_

_**AhkmenRAWR:** What do you mean?_

_**Smithandwesson:** How come we can't show up to conventions, huh? I just wanna cosplay a wild west character, damn it!_

_**Octodaddy:** You cosplay a cowboy every day of your shitty life._

_**Smithandwesson:** -narrows eyes-_

_**Octodaddy:** :)_

_**Historytwistlarry:** You know, there's nothing stopping you from doing it._

_**Smithandwesson:** What, show up to a convention in TWT cosplay? I'd be the only one there, wheelhorse. Ya know how stupid I would look?_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Not if we went as a group._

 

There was silence in the chat, and for a moment Larry was afraid that he’d crossed a line of some sort; maybe they weren’t really that close. But then:

****

_**AhkmenRAWR:** !!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_**Octodaddy:** AMAZING_

_**Smithandwesson:** Now theres an idea worth hearin!_

****

Larry snorted, unable to contain laughter. Really, it was an obvious suggestion. How had these people survived without him?

****

_**Historytwistlarry:** There's gonna be a convention near me in a few weeks. Think everyone can get to NYC?_

_**Smithandwesson:** Wait, let me get the others._

****

Slowly, the names listed in the corner began to increase. Once everyone was present, Jed explained their plan, and everyone waited with bated breath for reactions.

 

_**FrenchToast:** Mon Dieu, why have we never done this before?!? I will drive all the way there if I have to! Does anyone mind if I bring my boyfriend?_

_**Smithandwesson:** Not a problem! Im always up for a road trip. Count me in!_

_**Shoshonegirl:** I think Teddy and I will have to decline. We can't leave Jean-Baptiste with a sitter for so long. We wish you all the best, though._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Aw, that's too bad._

_**Smithandwesson:** Won't be the same without you._

_**Whosyourpresident:** You're too kind!_

_**Historytwistlarry:** Can you make it, Octavius? That's pretty far for you._

_**Octodaddy:** I'm sure I can book a flight, just send me the details._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Awesome! That just leave you, Ahk._

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Let me just.... check my schedule._

_**** _

Larry sat idly as they waited for Ahk to return. Teddy and Wea had left the chat, and Nippy was inevitably working. In times like this, Larry would often get a kick out of watching the drama unfold between Jed and Octavius, but it seemed as though tonight the chat would be eerily quiet. In fact, he'd made a mental note that the two men didn't seem to be arguing much as of late. No exploding the chat, no angry messages on tumblr. Only stony silence. Strange.

****

_**AhkmenRAWR:** Hey, I'm free! But uh, my brothers coming with. He seems to think I need “protection.” Whatever._

_**Historytwistlarry:** Great! I'll find out all the details and make sure you guys get them._

_**Smithandwesson:** This is gonna be good._

*********   
**

A week later, and all the plans were finalized. Save for Teddy and Wea, everyone was coming, and the air of excitement permeating their little niche of the internet was exhilarating. Larry had taken off work for the day, and may or may not be putting off some classwork, but it was just this once. He'd graduate eventually. As for cosplay, after some deliberating, he chose Sam. Boring, maybe, but he was already equipped to make the costume, and besides, the resemblance really was uncanny.

Larry should have been writing a paper. Instead, he was scrolling through tumblr for what felt like the tenth time that afternoon. Skimming the posts for something interesting and knowing he needed to get back to work, Larry was about to ex out when his eyes landed on a new TWT post.

He stared, mouth falling open. In the photo, a young man was looking almost shyly into the camera, his green eyes partially obscured by dark curls that fell forward due to the slight tilt of his head. In this photo, he was wearing an elaborately jewelled collar which fell against bare bronze skin. A second, full body picture showed off a long blue and gold skirt, and a third had the same man holding up a half finished cape. The caption read, “Pharaoh cosplay is coming along nicely. Finally putting my mother's sewing lessons to good use.” Larry scrolled back to the top, checking the url for confirmation. This was Ahkmenrawr.

He blinked.

Apparently, he'd befriended a sex god. Would have been nice to know before hand.

And wow, Ahk was younger than he'd thought. Twenty, maybe? Twenty-two? With Teddy and Wea not coming, that made him the oldest in the group. It also made Ahk the youngest.

Resolving that he should get back to writing, Larry logged out, but not before reblogging the post. He agonized over what to add, finally settling on “Amazing!” He wondered if Ahk realized he was talking about more than just the cosplay.

***

Standing outside the convention hall, Larry was beginning to wonder if this had all been a huge mistake. The group had agreed to meet outside the door at noon, right as things were starting to kick off. It was already half an hour past. Was everyone late? Had they gotten lost? Or had they decided that his idea wasn’t worth it after all? Hell, were they even real?

Unconsciously fiddling with the plastic glasses in his hands, (because no way was he putting them on yet; let him look ridiculous as part of a group, thank you, not standing there alone) he scanned the crowd once more. And then, finally, his eyes landed on a familiar face. Coming towards him, amidst the people milling about on the grass, was a Roman general, tan skin contrasting brightly with the red and silver of his armor. He immediately threw his arms around Larry, and the latter got a mouthful of feathers from the man’s helmet.

“Hey, Octavius,” Larry smiled, excited to finally start meeting his friends face to face. “How you liking New York?”

Octavius laughed awkwardly. “It’s…. interesting. America always is.”

“Can’t argue with that. Nice job with the costume, by the way.” Larry gave the armor another appraising glance, impressed by the intricate breastplate and skirt. It looked incredibly authentic.

“Thank you. Hey, I think Nippy was coming in behind me. Although,” Octavius came closer, talking quietly into Larry’s ear. “He’s a little, er, smaller in person, so I’d-”

Abruptly, they were joined by two others, and Octavius cut himself off with a cough. Directly in front of Larry stood a man that must have been a good two feet shorter, although the wide hat did add some height. This was obviously Nippy, who had promised to dress as his namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte. The historical figure had also made an appearance in Time Warp Trio, much to the man’s excitement. Nippy waved a vibrant hello; it seemed as though he was barely able to contain himself, constantly moving and bouncing around. Behind him stood a man that was significantly less excited, judging from the grimace on his face. Nippy was leading him by the hand, making it impossible for him to break away or run off, although Larry could tell that he would jump at the chance to do either. The dark suit and grayscale makeup he wore completed the picture of a sullen, dangerous looking man.

“It is good to finally meet you,” Nippy told them both, in a surprisingly thick French accent. He pointed to the man that was his shadow. “This is the boyfriend I told you about. Say hi, Al.”

Al only glared. “So these are the internet weirdos you talk to?” He eyed Octavius’s skirt with derision. “You need to make new friends, babe.”

Now it was Nippy’s turn to glare. “Don’t be rude.” He tugged on Al’s hand sharply, which was still in his grip. “Now say hi.” To Larry and Octavius, Nippy commented, “Don’t mind him; he’s a grouch. Dressed as some mobster character from a TV show, and he has the nerve to call  us the weird ones.”

Al growled. “Hello,” he finally managed, though it sounded hard and forced.

An awkward silence permeated the air, as no one was sure what to say. A few times, Octavius tried to venture into pleasant conversation, but Al’s presence made it almost impossible. The silent glares and rude comments coming from Nippy’s boyfriend were putting a damper on things. Needless to say, Larry kept his mouth shut.

Thankfully, they were saved a few moments later by the approach of a tall, blond cowboy.

From the time the idea of a meet up arose, Larry had been dreading this moment. While things between Jed and Octavius had been silent as of late, they had been by no means friendly. He feared the worst; a blow up argument, getting them all kicked out of the convention, being banned for life. The works. Additionally, he feared playing the role of moderator as Wea so often had to do online. Larry was not up for that, not at all. But all those worries were abruptly put to rest as Jed’s eyes landed on Octavius, and he broke into a wide grin.

“Octie!” He shouted, so loudly that it caused a few patrons to turn and look as Jed went running across the grass. Octavius did the same, and they met in the middle with a fierce hug. Jed even went so far as to lift Octavius off the ground and spin him in a circle, much to the shock of the others. Larry could only stare, slack jawed, as the two carried on like old friends, continuously laughing and hugging.  

Nippy was the first to find words. “What is this?” he asked, a hint of a smile forming. “I thought the two of you were sworn enemies. What has happened?’

“We worked things out,” Jed grinned, speaking with a Southern twang that fit him perfectly. “Messages an’ such, y’know how it goes.”

“But you guys haven’t been talking on the chat,” Larry cut in. “Like, at all.”

“I believe that is what the private chats exist for.” Octavius raised an eyebrow at their surprise. “Were we really that bad?”

They all nodded in unison.

“Ain’t that embarrassin’” Jed commented, although he didn’t seem to care very much. He turned to Larry. “Hey Laredo, thanks fer havin’ this great idea.” Jed’s expression was one of pleasantness as he greeted each of them in turn. That is, until he really noticed Nippy for the first time. Eyes wide, he exclaimed, “Whoa, kemosabe! Didn’t expect you to be so short!”

Behind Nippy’s back, Al had begun to make frantic neck-cutting motions in an attempt to shut Jed up, but it was to no avail. Nippy’s face went red, and he glared at Jedediah, crossing his arms tightly. “What did you say?! What!?”

Jed immediately backtracked. “I,  uh…. I asked if you played any sports,”

Nippy still glared suspiciously, and Larry thought it was about time they went inside. He held open the door.

“But Ahk ain’t here yet,” Jed said. “We can’t very well go in without ‘im.”

Larry thought for a moment. The convention hall was beginning to fill up, and they didn’t want to miss out on anything. “How about you guys go ahead, and I’ll wait for him out here? We’ll catch up as soon as we can.”

Jed shrugged. “Sounds fine to me.” He walked in, Octavius at his side. Nippy gave Larry a friendly nod and followed, Al in tow.

Resuming his position by the door, Larry’s worries returned. Out of their whole group, Ahkmenrah was the person he was the most excited (and the most nervous) to meet. He was going to show up, right? Larry checked his watch, astonished to see that it was almost an hour past their original meet time. Ahk had to be coming… After all, he had worked so hard on his cosplay, and even though he was endlessly complaining about his brother tagging along, the idea of finally meeting his friends in person seemed to be the only thing on the man’s mind as of late. Hopefully he hadn’t gotten cold feet.

Then Larry saw it. The flash of gold cape as someone exited a parked car. The glint of sunlight off of an insane amount of jewelry, and the bright glare of a tall, regal crown resting on the head of a ridiculously attractive man.

All at once, it occurred to Larry that he might be in much deeper than originally planned. Ahk had begun running toward him, recognition and excitement in his eyes, and he had no fucking idea what to say.

As he stood there, mouth open, Larry began to have second thoughts about this plan. Clearly, he wasn’t prepared.

His silence seemed to be leaving Ahk, who was now standing in front of him, uncertain. The other man raised an eyebrow in question, while unbenounced to him, Larry was doing his best not to reach out and touch his face just to make sure it was real because good God.

“Hi?” Ahk ventured. “You are Larry, right?”

Larry blinked once, hard, and shook his head. “Yeah, no, sorry. It’s me. I just…. you did a really good job on the costume.”

Ahk smiled brilliantly, and Larry felt his knees go weak.

It was then that he registered the presence of a man just behind Ahk, wearing a decidedly less flattering pharaoh costume. The green and gold tunic was garish, as was the scowl on the face of it’s wearer. Larry thought he had a pretty good idea of who this was.

“And you must be Kahmunrah?” He tried to keep his tone as pleasant as possible, even as the rude comments given to both himself and Ahk surged into memory. He tried to push the anger aside; there was no need to start a fight, not now.

“And I suppose you’re this historytwistlarry person that my brother won’t stop going on about?” Kahmunrah practically spit the words, nose upturned. Larry noticed that his speech was characterized by a very pronounced lisp.

Beside him, Ahk blushed. “Kah!”

The man rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”

“What’s the matter, you don’t like the costume I made you?” Ahk crossed his arms, recovering a bit of his composure. An impish smirk settled on his face. “And where’s the wonderful crown I made to match it?”

“At home, where it belongs,” Kah growled. “It was horrible, and so was the wig.” He ran a hand through his short hair. “I will not be seen in public like that, not when we have our father’s reputation to uphold.”

“It was _supposed_ to be a shitty crown,” Ahk replied, before striding through the doors of the convention hall, clearly expecting them both to follow. Kah glared at Larry again, and barged on past.

Curious, Larry wondered what their “father’s reputation” was supposed to mean, but he was much more concerned with the idea of Ahk talking about him. The thought put a fluttery feeling in his stomach.

“So where are the others?” Ahk asked once Larry had caught up. “I thought they’d be here by now.”

“They are, somewhere. I told them to go ahead while I wait for you,” Larry replied. He rubbed his neck self-consciously.

“Thank you, then.” Ahk had stopped walking, and now he looked down, a small smile on his face. “That’s very kind of you. My brother insisted on driving, so naturally we took a few wrong turns.”

Kah appeared beside them, with crossed arms and a frown. “I only insisted because you drive too fast,” he said grumpily. “You’ll get us both killed.”

“At least I get us where we’re supposed to go,” Ahk retorted.

Abruptly, Kah threw up his hands. “I am _done_ listening to this,” he snarled, and Larry was taken aback by the sudden venom in his voice. “All I’ve heard, all the way here, is abuse. Isn’t it enough that you’re our father’s golden boy? Do you really have to rub it in? I’m finished.” He turned and began walking away, speaking over his shoulder. “Find your own way home. I-” And then he was cut off as he marched straight into a nearby cosplayer.

***

Kahmunrah did not want to be there. He did not want to be chaperoning his little brother around New York City wearing this God awful dress—no, tunic, it was a tunic—but there was no way in hell he was letting Ahkmen go off and meet strangers alone, especially strangers he had met online. Kah didn’t like the look of them, especially this Larry fellow.

Brotherly instincts were what brought him here, but now, standing next to Ahkmen while the other man, as usual, attracted the attention of everyone in the room despite being dressed like a clown, he had never felt more second-rate. Kah had never lived up to his little brother’s looks or his talents. Nothing, in their parents’ eyes (and in his own) would ever make Kahmunrah comparable to his brother. Except maybe intellect, but a lot of good that did. He was still second-rate, second-favorite, and second-loved. Yes, he resented Ahkmen for it. How could he not?

But that didn’t mean he was going to let baby brother get kidnapped and murdered in New York City.

Of course, he wouldn’t really leave Ahkmen to fend for himself. He never did. But he needed to get away for a moment; just for a little bit. That way he could still keep an eye on Larry, but be spared from his brother’s incessant sass.

This knight was never part of the plan.

With his face turned to yell at his brother, Kah didn’t notice the man directly in his path. That is, until his face collided with a cold metal breastplate.

“Shit!” He rubbed his cheek, ready to glare up at whoever had the nerve to get in his way. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to-”

Kah’s words stopped. His movement stopped. Really, everything seemed to have stopped because this man had the bluest eyes he had ever seen, and the nicest blond hair that looked soft enough to touch, and _sweet Rah above why was this happening now._

Their eyes locked, and the other man’s mouth slowly spread into a smile. There was something mischievous about it. “Hello there,” he said. “Sorry to get in your way.”

Kah searched for words, licking his lips. The man’s eyes were much too hypnotic. “It-it’s fine,” he replied, shaking his head a little, trying to clear his thoughts. Unbelieveable, the way he was losing his wits so quickly. And his cutting wit. Kah could have kicked himself. “No harm done.”

“Still, you should let me make it up to you.” The knight took his hand and squeezed it lightly, and Kah did the most undignified thing he had ever done. He squeaked. Like a mouse. But the man was still smiling down at him, and Kah couldn’t seem to care about pride at the moment.

As usual, brother dearest had to ruin everything.

“Kah, please stop bothering people,” Ahkmenrah broke in, rolling his eyes. “I thought you were leaving?”

Kah watched the strangers eyes land on his brother, and his heart dropped. He wrenched his hand away. There went any chance of…. whatever Kah had been hoping for. If the stranger’s eyes were on his Ahkmenrah, then there would be nothing left for him. As usual. “If leaving here means being rid of you, then yes. Consider me halfway back to our ancestral homelands.”

“Shut up, you virgin,” Ahk retorted. Really, the typical teenage vernacular was astounding.

Even so, Kah felt himself turn a deep shade of red. He and Ahkmen were never playing Truth or Dare again. “I… so are….” A quick glance at the knight told him that the man was amused. In fact, the look on his face as he gazed at Kah was something akin to predatory.

Suddenly, he slipped an arm around Kah’s shoulders, regarding Ahkmen cooly. “That’s a very rude thing to say, you know.”

Ahkmen seemed surprised. He raised an eyebrow. “He’s a rude man. You can have him.” And when his brother grabbed Larry by the hand and walked off quickly, Kah couldn’t find it in himself to object.

The knight grinned. “Name’s Lancelot. Really. I promise I’m not just trying to stay in character. And who might you be?”

The effect of this stranger’s looks were beginning to dull, albeit slowly. Kah’s wits were returning. “Kahmunrah. Really.”

“Well,” Lancelot began. “If you’re so set on leaving, then you best give me your number first.”

This time, he only blushed a little. “Hmm. I think I might stay, actually. Give me your phone.”

Eyebrow quirked, Lancelot complied, holding out the device. Kah was quick to enter his number.

***

“You sure everything’s going to be okay with your brother?” Larry asked as Ahk pulled him away. The feel of their hands together was…. distracting, to say the least, but he was much more concerned with Ahk having a way to get back home.

Ahk scoffed. “Yes, he does this at least once a week. Everything will be fine, trust me.” He searched the crowd. “Now, where did everyone else go?”

“Dunno,” Larry replied. He couldn’t find any familiar faces. “But, uh, I think we might get along fine on our own for a bit. Until we find them, of course,” he added quickly.

“That sounds great. And I think you should keep ahold of my hand, just so we don’t get separated. And for cosplay purposes. Is that okay?” Ahk smiled again, innocently.

“S-Sure. Good plan.”

They wandered aimlessly for a while, perusing through merchandise for sale and checking out other cosplayers. As it turned out, Ahk had a huge interest in Homestuck (one that Larry didn’t share, but he wasn’t about to say anything of that variety). Watching Ahk fawn over the troll costumes was just too cute. At one point, he even took off his crown and put on a pair of those little horns. He turned to Larry expectantly. “How do they look?”

“Adorable,” Larry replied before he could stop himself. He felt his face heat up.

Ahk looked away shyly, fingering the jewels around his neck. “Guess I’ll buy them, then.”

On impulse, Larry stepped forward. “Let me get them for you.”

“No, there’s no need,” Ahk said replied, laughing a little. “Trust me.”

They moved on, eventually ending up in a coffee shop that was tucked away to the side, a small room adjacent to the main hall. Claiming a table in the corner, Larry was grateful to get away from the crowd for the time being. The view that the window offered was a nice one, and Ahk seemed to appreciate the picturesque scene of the city, bathed in late afternoon light. The man picked at the danish he’d bought, taking a sip of his heavily sugared coffee. More of a milkshake, really. Larry’s own black coffee and bagel seemed bland in comparison.

“I don’t know how you drink that,” Ahk commented. “It’s so bitter.”

“I could say the same to you. All that sugar; it’s a wonder you don’t have diabetes.”

Ahk laughed, his eyes meeting Larry’s. Larry noted that they were a clear, almost glassy sort of green, Nothing came to mind except water. An ocean, maybe, or a river.

Suddenly Ahk sighed, glancing down at the table. He was doing his best to hide his shy smile; biting his lip and turning away. “I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you,” he said, as though he were divulging a secret.

“Yeah,” Larry answered. “It’s great to finally meet you, too. And hopefully you’ll get to meet everyone else before the days over.” He scanned the crowd for what felt like the hundredth time, but could find no cowboy hat, no French soldiers. And no one was answering their phone. It seemed as though the others had just upped and disappeared.

“No, I don’t think you understand.” Ahk didn’t seem to be able to meet his eyes for more than a few seconds, periodically glancing down, up, back down. For a moment, Larry was lost in the pattern, and he barely registered what Ahk was saying. “You, specifically. I…. think that you’re very intelligent, and very kind. And quite attractive too, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Larry blinked once. Twice. “T-Thank you, Ahk,” He didn’t understand where that had come from, though he wasn’t about to complain. Mind straying back to the comments Ahk had made on his photos, he wondered now if maybe they had contained some truth. It made him smile. “You’re pretty interesting yourself.”

“Not as interesting as you.”

“What?” Larry laughed. “You think the life of a divorced father is interesting?”

“Oh, very.” Ahk was practically gushing. “I mean, you work at such a cool place, you’re going to become a professor…. You just seem to have everything planned out.”

Larry was about to scoff, to say how incredibly far from the truth that was. He had no idea what he was doing anymore; it had become routine to just take each day at a time and hope he was going somewhere. Some days, things looked up, but others, particularly the ones full of failed exams and McPhee’s angry yells, decidedly did not. But before he could say any of that, Ahk’s eyes strayed over his shoulder, landing on something else.

“Is that Jedediah?”

Sure enough, Jed had finally found them. The rest of the group followed not long after. They had a good time, finally being able to talk in person was doing wonders for their friendship. Even Nippy, whom Larry hardly ever talked to, was beginning to feel like a best friend. Looking through booths took up much of their time as well, although Jed’s loud, raucous laughter caused them to get more than a few dirty looks.

They took many pictures as well. Particularly Larry and Ahk, as their costumes represented the fandom’s main ship. Goading from the others almost convinced them to kiss for the camera, but in the end, Larry decided it would be inappropriate, and besides, Ahk was acting much too shy. Every time they touched, an arm around each other or an embrace for a picture, and Ahk would blush, barely able to look him in the eye.  

Unfortunately, time passed quickly. It wasn’t long before Al and Nippy said their goodbyes, Nippy already talking about classes and exams happening in the next few days. Jed and Octavius were the next go. Together, Larry noticed with some amusement.

“Think there’s something going on there?” he asked Ahk as the two men left.

“Considering I caught them making out against the wall when I went into the men’s room, I would say yes. Very much so.”

Larry laughed, although he couldn’t say he was surprised. One look at the two, and a person could see that they were smitten for each other. A drastic change, to say the least.

He glanced around somewhat awkwardly, taking sight of the emptying hall. “Guess it’s just you and me, then.”

Ahk smiled. “Yeah.”

“We should probably find your brother. It’s getting kinda late.”

“I suppose so.” As Ahk took out his phone, Larry noticed that the smile had fallen from his face. A few seconds later, he motioned Larry closer, speaking low. “He says he’s busy.”

“Oh, well I guess we can head somewhere else, then. Actually, there’s some cool music stores around here I’d like to show you.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Ahk spoke his next words into the phone. “Kah, I’m leaving with Larry, okay? Don’t look for me.”

Surprisingly, that was the end of the conversation. “He’s really alright with this?” Larry asked. “I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but I get the feeling he’s a little overprotective.”

“Definitely,” Ahk commented. “But he seemed preoccupied. Dunno what that’s about. Though he did say, and I quote, “Don’t get murdered. Mother and father would never forgive me.”

“Noted,” Larry replied. already pulling out his keys. “My car’s this way.”

***

 ****  
****

Turns out, Larry had neglected to account for the fact that most of those stores had already locked up for the night.

“Well,” he said, staring at the dark windows, the CLOSED sign dangling in the wind. “That’s out of the question.”

Larry was embarrassed at his lack of forethought. He was better than this. But Ahk didn’t seem to care; the man only shrugged easily. “We can just drive, then. Hang out and stuff.”

“Sounds fine to me.”

So they drove. And talked. Music blared from the radio, and Ahk was flipping stations every other song, giving Larry the details of this band or that singer, all while belting out the songs in the most off-key voice Larry had ever heard. It took some prompting (and some learning of lyrics, for Larry wasn’t familiar with current music) but soon he was singing along with Ahk. They were both horrible, but somehow it worked.

“Who sings this again?” Larry asked, forced to yell over the radio.

“It’s Hey Mama. Nicki Minaj.” Ahk yelled back.

“You like her?”

“I love her. Onika is bae. Kah hates her, though. My brother,” Ahk paused, and with a flip of his hand, gave Larry a conspiratorial, disgusted look. “Is Iggy Azalea trash.”

Larry had only understood around half of those words, but he smiled nonetheless. And when Ahk’s hand drifted over to touch his own, the one that was resting on his knee, he squeezed back. It had been the next in a string of seemingly careless, gentle touches, and he hoped the pattern wasn’t ending anytime soon.

And wow, this guy could talk. About everything. Not that Larry minded; he was the kind of person who preferred to listen, maybe offer advice or a comment here and there, but overall to stay quiet. Unless the topic was history, he would much rather hear what the other person had to say.

He learned that Ahk’s family had come to America when he was very young, but that he still had a few memories of his old home. He learned that Ahk adored music and art and books; anything remotely creative seemed to be his forte. He learned that Ahk consumed sweets like they were some sort of life force, and that he loved to learn anything, on any subject. He soaked up information like a sponge, which may have been what had gotten him into an educational kid’s show. And Larry learned that Ahkmenrah’s father, Merenkahre, was a no-nonsense business professional who ran his own software company and looked down harshly on Ahk’s “useless” creative tendencies.

“He wants me to inherit the company, but I don’t know.” For a moment, Ahk’s vigor drained away, and he withdrew into his seat. “I have no idea what I want. I wish he would just give the company to Kah.”

“Merenkahre. Hmmm,” Larry repeated the name to himself. He got the impression that Ahk came from money, maybe a mildly well-known family. It was possible he had heard of them. “Got a last name?”

Ahk scoffed. “You couldn’t pronounce it if you tried.”

“Fair enough. But we should probably start heading back now.” The sky had gone dark, and the only thing visible for a ways down the road was open field, no cars coming from either direction.

Ahk pouted. “Pull over first.”

“I can’t just stop in the middle of the road, man.”

“Pull into the grass, then.”

“I can’t drive into someone’s-” Larry started, but Ahk had already maneuvered the wheel from his grasp and steered them into a deserted field.

With a sigh, Larry put the car in park. “Why are we here?”

“Because it’s nice.” Ahk closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the seat. “It’s quiet. I like it here.”

Humming in reply, Larry leaned back as well. There was silence for a time. He listened to the buzzing of insects in the distance, felt the warm air drifting in through the open windows. To be honest, serenity was the most apt word he could find to describe this place.

“Has anyone ever told you what an amazing writer you are, Larry?” Ahk asked, finally breaking the silence. His head was turned slightly so that he could look Larry in the eye.

“You really think so?” Larry replied quietly.

Ahk nodded. “You could write books. Everything was so good; the characterization, the plot…. and the smut.”

Larry gave a series of coughs, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Yeah, well, I u-uh, don’t have all th-that much, uh, experience writing the stuff, so….”

“You obviously have some kind of experience,” Ahk said. He was biting his lip again, looking up through hooded eyes, and Larry really wished he wouldn’t because it was ridiculously sexy. “Why don’t you show me what you know?”

Larry’s mind slowed to a halt; he could faintly hear the gears grinding in his ears. Did he want to do that? Without a doubt. Truthfully, he’d wanted to do just that since Ahk had begun posting photos online. But the idea was too wild and too daring for his liking. They were grown men who had just met for God’s sake, not teenagers, and they were not about to fuck in this car.

Except they were. All these thoughts were running through Larry’s head as he slowly closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss that didn’t stay chaste for long. Ahk was on him in an instant, with tongue and teeth and hands, leaning over the gap between the driver and passenger seats. Clearly, he wanted to be in Larry’s lap, but the lack of room prevented it.

With one hand curled behind Ahk’s neck and still holding him close, Larry broke away. “You really wanna do this? Here?”

Ahk seemed uncertain for a moment. He opened his mouth and closed it just as quick, visibly deliberating. Larry was about to call everything off when Ahk nodded.

Larry stared at him, wondering what was going on in that head. Who could tell why this beautiful younger guy wanted anything to do with a divorced dad who, mind you, was still wearing these God forsaken Harry Potter glasses. “Okay.” An awkward pause. They stared at each other. “Get in the back, then.”

Purposely moving slower, Larry watched as Ahk climbed out of his seat and took the few steps to the rear door. His hand shook as he took the handle, but he slid easily into the back nonetheless, stretching out on the seat.

Larry slid in the opposite side, throwing the glasses onto the floor as he did so. There was something about the warm air, the silence around them, that made him speak quietly. “What exactly did you want me to show you?”

“Oh…. you know.” Ahk was vague, his voice slightly higher than normal. “Anything you want.”

*********************************************************

When his mind drew a complete blank, Larry panicked. When was the last time he’d had sex, anyway? Then his thoughts began to stray to his story, remembering what he’d written. Sam and the pharaoh had slept together, but what exactly had gone on between them? He forced himself to think back. There had been kissing, yes, kisses that had strayed downwards.

Planting his arms on either side of Ahk’s body, he kissed the man briefly on the lips before moving to his neck and biting down gently over his collarbone. He felt a hand curl into his hair, could hear Ahk’s slight gasps and little noises combining with the buzz of cicadas outside.

As he trailed downwards, Larry’s grasped the top of Ahk’s jeans. He’d changed out of his cosplay before they’d left the convention hall, seeing as a pharaoh was pretty conspicuous. Now he wore tight fitting pants and a low v-neck t-shirt, and Larry wanted nothing more than to get them off. He looked for approval, and after a little nudge from Ahk, he pulled them away.  

Ahk was already hard, and Larry wasted no time in running his tongue up the length, trying to take notes from his characters as he did so. What would they do here? In more ways than one, they had the experience. A brush of his lips here and there, and then, taking Ahk into his mouth, Larry began to suck him off in earnest, head bobbing with the motion. Ahk let out a gasp, and his hips arched upwards, bringing him further into Larry’s mouth.

“I take it you like that?” Larry asked, backing away.

Ahk squirmed, trying to pull him back. “Very much.”

“Good,” he said with a little smile. It was strange, considering Ahk hadn’t been a real person to him until a few hours ago. Well, he’d been real, but not someone to see in the flesh; he’d had no real body except for the breathtaking photos on his blog. And now, not only did he have a body, a serious, real life form instead of only words over the internet, but he was offering said body to Larry, and it was unbelievable, really. He maneuvered back to his hands and knees, more than ready to continue. But before he could resume his activities, Ahk stopped him.

In the shadows, all he could see was the basic outline of the other man’s features, feel the tightening of the fingers wedged into the fabric of his shirt, and hear the heaviness of Ahk’s breath. “Fuck me. Please.”

“You sure you want that?” Larry was dubious; this wasn’t exactly an ideal location. Although he wasn’t about to refuse.

“Yeah.”

Larry leaned to the glove compartment above the passenger seat, pulling out a small bottle of lube and a condom. When he’d shoved those things into his car, he had laughed, but now he was grateful. Turns out, a person really could need this stuff at the most unexpected times.

Coating his fingers generously, he slid one inside of Ahk, holding his breath, and began to move it slowly. The act made him nervous, though he couldn’t understand why. Maybe because it made everything real.  

Without warning, Ahk grabbed hold of his wrist roughly.

“This okay?” Larry asked, concerned. “It’s what you wanted, right?”

“Yeah,” Ahk repeated, his voice a little breathy. “Only…. do you mind going slow?”

“Whatever you need, hon.”

Almost leisurely, he went about the process of stretching Ahk, keeping his pace steady and making sure enough time had passed before he added another finger, and then eventually, a third. At times, Ahk’s hand would return to his wrist, though now it was to pull him deeper inside. He took that as a good sign. Honestly, he only wanted Ahk to be comfortable. Larry could sense the nervousness coming off him in waves, even though this had been his idea from the beginning. In an effort to calm him, Larry brushed kisses along his body as he worked. It was then that he realized, belatedly, his feelings for Ahk may run much, much deeper than just sexual attraction.  

Eventually, once Ahk was sufficiently stretched, he backed off again, causing the other man to whine.

“I thought you wanted this,” Larry teased, pulling his own pants away and letting them pool around his thighs.

“Hurry it up, then.”

Ahk’s words were joking, but there was a slight tremor in his voice that Larry couldn’t ignore. As he angled himself between Ahk’s legs, he asked, “You sure? You sound scared.”

“....Maybe a little?”

In the darkness, Larry gave a sympathetic smile. “Been a while?”

“You could say that.”

“Well, I for one find that hard to believe. Just relax, okay?” He pushed inside of Ahk as slowly as he could manage, but the other man hissed nonetheless. “Sorry; I’m sorry,” he murmured soothingly, pressing kisses along Ahk’s neck, willing the man to release the tension in his muscles. “It’ll feel better, I promise.”

His words proved true. Ahk loosened up after a few moments, and Larry was able to give him slow, steady strokes. As Ahk’s hands scrabbled and clutched at the seat cushions, he moaned, one legs splayed out over the divider between the front seats, the other resting near the back window.

For Larry, this was straight out of a dream. Out of all the possible endings for this night, fucking Ahk in his car had definitely not been on the list. This was a crazy fantasy, something he would have never allowed himself to think about. But now it was happening in real life, and Ahk felt amazing and sounded amazing, and Larry couldn’t keep his hands away.

Picking up speed, Larry left rougher kisses along Ahk’s neck, at one point biting down hard and relishing in the gasp that came from the other man’s mouth. He ran his tongue over the red mark, and Ahk pulled him closer with a whimper.

“Really…. really close,” Ahk panted, fingers digging into Larry’s back.

On a whim. Larry curled his hand around Ahk’s cock and rubbed in slow pumps, slower than his thrusts, just to send Ahk’s senses spiraling. The other man’s eyes flew open, and he arched toward Larry, breath hitching. And then he was spilling over Larry’s hand, falling back against the cushions.

The sound of total euphoria that came from Ahk’s mouth was enough to send Larry over the edge as well. Unable to keep his balance, he lurched forward, forehead falling against Ahk’s.

************************************************  
  


They stayed like that, breathing heavily, for some minutes. Darkness had fallen even farther, but he could still see the glimmer of Ahk’s eyes just beneath his. He ran his hand along Ahk’s cheek, brushing away the stray curl that had stuck to his skin. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture, and Larry had done it without even thinking.

As neither of them spoke and the high wore off, the silence took on a less comforting quality. Instead, it only seemed to get louder.

“So…,” he began lamely. “That happened.”

“Yeah.”

“I guess we should…. head back?”

“Probably.”

Larry didn’t feel right just getting up, nor did he particularly want to. As a compromise, he pressed his lips briefly to Ahk’s cheek before moving away. They dressed in silence, Larry throwing the used condom into the grass (and yeah, okay, that was gross and unsanitary, but he was not keeping it in his car) and soon they were both back in the front, car pulling back onto the road. Ahk flashed him a smile, and commented on how they might leave the radio off this time. Larry smiled back, but that turned out to be the end of their interaction. He noticed how much more subdued the other man seemed. In fact, the closer they got to the city, the more he seemed to recede into himself, curling up against the window and staring straight ahead. Larry shot periodic glances at him, beginning to get worried.

“Hey,” he said, once they were within a few blocks of the building where the convention had been held. “Do you know where your brothers at?”

Ahk started, staring at him as if he’d materialized out of thin air. “Uh, not really. It’s pretty late.”

“True. You can stay the night with me if you want. Just shoot him a text so he knows.”

“Okay,” Ahk mumbled, pulling out his phone. The glare of light from the device illuminated his face, and Larry caught sight of the strain in his features, the crease in his forehead. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yup.”

His home was some twenty minutes away, in the suburbs, and there was no conversation for the entire drive. The vibes he was getting from Ahk became increasingly worrisome, and Larry began to wonder what had gone wrong. Once they had pulled into his driveway, Ahk got out and followed him silently into the door. Inside, it was close to pitch black. He threw their things onto the couch, not bothering with the lights.

Turning to Ahk, he said. “So yeah, this is where I live. Make yourself at home.”

There was no reply.

“Ahk?” He made his way closer to the other man in the dark. “You alright?”

Hugging himself, Ahk was standing against the wall, watching him with frightened eyes. Concerned, Larry reached over Ahk’s shoulder to flip on the light, and the man flinched away from him violently. “Okay, something is definitely wrong. Did I do something?”

“No,” Ahk replied, arms wrapped around his torso. He took a deep breath. “I’m just starting to think that maybe sleeping with some random guy from the internet wasn’t the best decision. I mean, I barely know you. And now I’m in your house. In the middle of the night. And Kah’s not even answering his phone.”

Larry blinked back surprise. Belated reactions, to say the least. Considering how friendly Ahk had been only a few hours ago, he’d abandoned all thoughts of things being awkward or strange. He understood, though. In Ahk’s place, he would probably be wary as well. He took a few steps back, holding up his hands and smiling in what he hoped was a calming manner. “Hey man, you know me. We’ve been talking for months. I won’t hurt you.”

“I know you won’t.” Ahk tried to play it off with a self-deprecating grin, but Larry could tell that he was still unnerved. “Sorry. I have an overactive imagination.”

“Did I ever tell you that one story?” Larry asked, deciding to try something else. He didn’t want to lose Ahk, not after everything that had happened. He didn’t want the other man to be scared. No, he wanted to see where this thing was going to lead. One night, and he was already feeling like a kid again. It was intoxicating.

“Which one?” Ahk asked. Obviously, the question took him off guard.

“The one about the kid that came in the museum, and he’d gotten lost in the city and couldn’t find his mom. So I convinced McPhee to let me take a few hours off, and I took the kid around everywhere looking for his mother.”

Ahk’s eyes lit up with recognition, and he smiled. “Oh, yeah. And she ended up being right across the street, but you didn’t know until like two hours later.” He seemed to find that fact amusing.

“Yep. God, I was pissed. The kid was happy, though.” He held his hand out. “See, I’m a good guy. I promise I’m not a murderer. I don’t have the time for it.”

Ahk laughed, and his posture seemed to loosen up a bit. He looked relaxed again. “And how do I know you’re not making that up?”

“I guess you _are_ gonna have to trust me a little bit,”Larry joked, and then added, more seriously, “But really, you can sleep wherever you want. I don’t mind. Hell, I’ll even help you get a hotel room if that would make you more comfortable.”

“No, it’s fine,” Ahk shook his head quickly, taking the outstretched hand. “I’m sorry for freaking out.”

“Don’t worry about it,”he replied easily. He led the way down the hall, pushing open the door to his bedroom. “You can stay in here, and I can crash on the couch if you want.”

“No, I don’t want to intrude like that. I can take the couch.”

Larry paused. It seemed they were at an impasse. “Or we could share?” he asked carefully. “If you’re okay with that?”

Deliberating for a moment, Ahk ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he finally said, giving a small smile. “I think that would be fine.”

“Cool.”

After lending Ahk a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, Larry pulled back the covers and they both climbed in. Ahk didn’t seem to know what to do. After a few seconds of staring at the ceiling, he turned his away, his back towards Larry, and faced the opposite wall. Larry let him, although he was craving the man’s touch.

Would it be crossing a line to put an arm around Ahk? It wasn’t much compared to what had been going on only an hour ago, but all the same, he didn’t want to be the cause of the man’s discomfort. He argued the points over in his mind for some time until it felt as though his head was spinning. Finally, he edged over slowly. His arm came to wrap around Ahk’s torso, pulling them closer so that Ahk’s back was pressed against his chest. “Is this okay?” he murmured.

“Mmhmm,” Ahk muttered sleepily. He even went to far as to scoot closer.

Larry intertwined their fingers together, and soon the fast-paced activity of the day had him falling asleep, a warm body pressed against him. That was something that hadn’t happened in a long while, and Larry couldn’t contain the giddy feeling rising in his stomach as he drifted into unconsciousness. Things really were turning around.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed part 1. I can't really promise an update anytime soon, but I promise that when it does come, it'll be good ;)


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